Weep In The Night Read Free

simply came across as a little creepy.
    Jab…one last upper cut before Bowen stilled the bag. “Doggone it. Wish there was another way.” He tore off the gloves, threw them on the floor, and glanced around his makeshift gym. Bringing the worn punching bag with him when he’d left Los Angeles a month ago had been an afterthought. At least this furnished apartment had a place for it, and he needed the exertion more than ever.
    A quick shower, then he dressed in blue jeans and gray T-shirt, and drove to Jerry’s Café. He’d scouted the neighborhood for days and knew Debra’s favorite haunts. Although she often ate at Jerry’s, part of him hoped she wouldn’t show up tonight. At this early stage of the hunt he usually orchestrated one encounter a day.
    The waitress brought a glass of iced tea.
    Bowen added sugar and stirred his drink before sliding a notebook from his leather case. He checked off trigger words the client had given him and found several he hadn’t tried on Debra yet. He’d have to work them into their next conversation. Tomorrow. A gulp of cold tea slid down his throat. He smacked his lips as he set the glass on the table. Good thing he had electrical and woodworking experience. Having a job at the same place Debra worked sure made his investigation easier.
    Next, he took out the folders of the other two candidates. The first, Mary Wolfe, lived across the street from Debra. The more he studied her photographs, the more he was convinced she couldn’t be Sadie Malone. Something about her overall body build didn’t match.
    With the last folder open on the table, he examined a photo of Sandra Miller. Bowen knew people placed in WITSEC were usually given names with the same initials as their original name. That made Sandra a good possibility, plus she matched the physical characteristics—taller than average, with a little extra weight, long dark hair, oval facial structure. If Debra proved not to be Sadie Malone, he’d pursue Sandra next. He closed the folder. Debra Johnson. Mary Wolfe. Sandra Miller. The only one with Sadie’s initials was Sandra. That meant if either Debra or Mary were in WITSEC, Austin was not their first relocation. That knowledge generated another set of questions he’d direct Debra’s way at their next meeting.
    Information given by the client placed Sadie living in an apartment on Monterey Oaks Boulevard in a large city in Texas. The client refused to reveal his sources, but for now Bowen accepted his position. The accuracy of the information mattered most. Bowen had already spent two weeks in Dallas chasing down leads, but the woman bearing a resemblance to Sadie in an apartment complex on Monterey Oaks turned out to be on the Dallas police force. He figured no one in WITSEC would be allowed to work in law enforcement.
    The waitress set a plate of pork chops swimming in cream gravy, a baked potato, and mixed vegetables on the table. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
    “Nope. This’ll do for now. But I will take more tea when you have a chance. Thanks.”
    The waitress moved to the next booth as Bowen mixed sour cream into the steaming, fluffy potato. His closed folders lay on the table near his glass, but it wasn’t Mary or Sandra who occupied his thoughts. A blonde, brown-eyed co-worker’s face kept intruding.
    Bowen took a bite of pork chop smothered in gravy. He had to keep the association with his target on a professional level. But after meeting Debra, he struggled not to think of her personally, which could be dangerous.
    With tea glass in hand, he decided to turn up the charm level at their next meeting—for the sake of the job, of course. Shifting on the seat, he shook his head. He’d have to remember his assignment and forget about her pretty face—if possible.
    His meal finished, Bowen gathered the folders, slid them in the leather case and zipped it closed. He left a tip on the table and paid for his meal at the counter. Behind him, a commotion at the